Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
News
January 27, 2021 01:39 PM

DuPont investing in Liveo line of silicone products

Andrew Schunk
Rubber & Plastics News
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    DuPont
    DuPont is investing heavily in both capital and capacity at its Hemlock, Mich., manufacturing plant for its Liveo brand of silicone medical products.

    With an aging population, a rise in chronic diseases and ever-increasing health care costs, medical device and biopharma businesses require innovation, collaboration and forward thinking from their suppliers.

    Couple these trends with a crushing pressure for COVID-19 vaccine development and delivery, and it is no surprise that Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont Co. is investing heavily in both capital and capacity at its Hemlock, Mich., manufacturing plant for its Liveo brand of silicone medical products.

    "Devices are becoming smaller, easier to use, with more digital functionality," said Diana Salvadori, Americas marketing leader with Liveo Healthcare. "Silicones play an important role in providing high purity, biocompatible, inherently flexible material solutions. Over the last decade, biologics have experienced significant growth — and with COVID-19 there has been increased pressure on vaccine development and demand. We have a proven track record working with our customers to successfully develop innovative solutions to help patients live healthier and more convenient lives."

    Plans for the investment in Liveo Healthcare were released late in 2020, but DuPont has not disclosed how much it intends to spend.

    Upgrades at the facility include extrusion capacity expansion for tubing, a new ISO 7 clean room and ongoing elastomer capacity expansions with new mixing equipment for liquid silicone rubber and high-consistency rubber.

    "These significant investments in both capital and resources strengthen the strategic capabilities of our Liveo Healthcare silicones," Salvadori said. "To support customer growth and accelerate new product introductions, these targeted investments include increasing supply capacities with manufacturing improvements."

    Derived from the terms "live" and "to be alive," the Liveo product line is used in the medical device, biopharma processing and pharma solutions markets.

    The Liveo product line includes LSR and HCR medical-grade elastomers, soft skin and pressure-sensitive adhesives and device coatings. Specifically, Liveo silicone adhesives are used in a relatively new type of wearable that offers gentle release (removal) with reduced skin irritation for the patient. In addition, these adhesives can be used in applications that target diseases, provide pain management and treat neurological disorders.

    "Our dedicated research team collaborates with manufacturers worldwide to create medical devices — including smart devices that share data between patients and doctors — that empower patients and promote independence," Salvadori said. "From drug delivery and monitoring devices to short- and long-term implantables and IV ports, our materials advance medical technology to create more positive patient outcomes."

    For the transfer of separated biopharma actives, Liveo's high-purity, low-permeability silicone tubing provides low extractables and high resistance to leaching. For fluid transfer processes, Liveo produces custom-molded tubing assemblies for high-purity fluid transfer, reduced risk of leakage and cross-contamination, and lower cleaning costs.

    DuPont Liveo Simethicone and emulsions are used in oral drug delivery systems for gastrointestinal applications.

    "DuPont Liveo is 100 percent focused on health care," Salvadori said. "A lot of our competitors serve multiple other industries — we only do health care. We follow the legacy of Dow Corning, which started innovating the use of silicon in medical applications in the 1950s. We kept on inventing and innovating and applying this technology."

    With a wealth of data, expertise and materials science at its disposal, DuPont Liveo said it can provide guidance to customers.

    "With an understanding of regulatory approvals processes, we are able to support customers with the testing, data and application-based scientific know-how to facilitate their device and drug approvals," she said.

    Salvadori said that while medical market segments that support the diagnostics and treatment of COVID-19 have seen a big increase in demand, other medical spaces still are lagging.

    "In other areas, where devices were used in elective surgeries or doctor visits, areas impacted by the various stay-at-home and work-from-home orders we have seen across the globe, they are in decline. Research and development has increased focus on solving the challenges associated with the pandemic crisis, and this has shifted short-term priorities for some of our customers to COVID-19 related programs and delayed others," Salvadori said.

    Looking ahead to 2021, DuPont Liveo said it remains hopeful for an improved — and healthier — year. Research and development is resuming, the company said, and other medical device and drug development areas are returning to pre-pandemic levels.

    And vaccine approvals and rollouts now are shifting from development to production and supply.

    "We are working in close collaboration with our key customers to help support and drive their leadership in key health care industry market segments," said Eugenio Toccalino, DuPont Liveo Healthcare global business director. "Without question, these investments in the future of health care will help strengthen and grow the value of our DuPont Liveo brand health care silicone solutions. We believe that DuPont Healthcare will have a positive impact on every level of the health care industry value chain."

    DuPont Liveo is part of the DuPont Transportation and Industrial business unit, which operates in the transportation, aerospace, electronics, health care, industrial and consumer markets.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Georgia home to new PET chemical recycling plant
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified